Contribution of chronic conditions to gender disparities in disability in the older population in Brazil, 2013.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the contribution of chronic conditions to the disability burden in the older men and women in Brazil.

METHODS: Data from 10,290 participants of the Brazilian National Health Survey in 2013 aged 60 years or older were used. Disability was defined based on limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Binomial additive hazards models were fitted to assess the contribution of chronic conditions to the disability prevalence.

RESULTS: Back pain was the most common condition, followed by diabetes and heart diseases in men and arthritis and diabetes in women. Stroke and mental disorders were by far the most disabling conditions in men and women. A higher disability prevalence was observed in women (34.4 %, CI 32.4; 36.2 %) compared to men (28.4 %; CI 25.9; 30.8 %). The most important contributors to the disability prevalence were stroke, back pain, and arthritis among men, and diabetes, heart diseases, and arthritis in women.

CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to reduce disability in the older population in Brazil should take into account the gender gap in the occurrence of chronic conditions, focusing on the main contributors to the disability burden.